Going Back
by Vanilla Coated Love
Summary: Ruka was bored. Hotaru was Hotaru. This is a story about the time he decided to test her how well she knew the significant events that happened in their relationship while the two were still in the Academy. Oh, but one doesn't simply give Hotaru Imai a test just because the boyfriend was bored.


**Going Back**  
by: _Vanilla Coated Love_

**Plot:**

Ruka was bored. Hotaru was Hotaru.

This is a story about the time he decided to test her how well she knew the significant events that happened in their relationship while the two were still in the Academy. Oh, but one doesn't simply give Hotaru Imai a test just because the boyfriend was bored.

**Dedication**:

For _homestuckisme_. Because Hotaru is her favorite GA character. Because the manga is frustrating her. Because she needs to know how thankful I am to have her as my friend. Heart. (Orayt. Sappy intro? Check! HAHA) I hope you'll like the first half of the story. :D

**Author's notes**: Twoshot. Rukaru is love. I hope I made sense. Happy reading! :)

_-Vanilla Coated Love_  
_5/3/2013, 2:34 AM_

* * *

_If I was Jay-Z, you'd be my Beyonce, we could rock the nation like they do.  
And if I was Da Vinci, you'd be Mona Lisa Paint a smile perfectly on you.  
And if I was James Dean, you could be my Audrey, Breakfast at Tiffany's for two.  
So throw me away. Cause if I were a boomerang I'd turn around and come back to you.  
-The Summer Set_

**Chapter 1**

How they ended up together was mystery to them both. It was insane. It was ludicrous. But it was never a mistake. And it was most definitely not impossible. Oh, it happened alright. Ruka Nogi and Hotaru Imai happened. Though it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows; there were fights, blackmails, fall outs and breakups. Yes, breakups. Twice, thrice. They went their separate ways, they tried new things, and they dated other people. They were an imperfect couple, which was perfect. In the end, they always found their way back to each other, as Hollywood as that may sound. Either by accident or on purpose. Mostly on purpose. That's the thing about them. They _wanted_ to be together (she didn't want to admit it but it's true), so they made it work. They talked (sometimes shouted), they listened, they adjusted, she shot him with her Baka Gun, he shouted some more. Usual stuff.

It was magical, really. A miracle, if you asked their close friends from the Academy.

Maybe there was something about the way she still called him by his last name, or the way he would visit her laboratory no matter what time of the day it was to bring her coffee (or crabs) although she told him not to go near her when she was in the middle of inventing something big.

Whatever it was, they were happy together. That's all that mattered. That was enough.

"Hey, Hotaru?" Ruka Nogi found himself calling out to his girlfriend one summer night. He leaned his back from the couch to find her in the dining table with her laptop.

"Hm?" she asked as she typed.

"I'm bored."

Hotaru paused. "Not now. I have a meeting with the board first thing tomorrow."

Ruka chuckled. "I wasn't suggesting _that_."

"Right, Nogi, right." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

_God, she's sexy,_ he thought.

"But if you're up for it, I guess-"

"No."

"But it's been weeks since we-"

"No," she said, more sternly this time. She looked up. "Control yourself. Go watch Animal Planet or whatever."

He sighed, defeated, and continued flipping through the channels. "Fine."

"Men," she breathed out.

"I heard that."

"You were meant to."

"Smartass."

It was her turn to say, "I heard that."

Minutes after, he switched the television off, threw the remote aside and got to his feet.

When he reached her, he bent down and wrapped his arms around her shoulder, breathed in her scent as he peered at the laptop's screen.

"Stop distracting me," Hotaru said as she tried to shrug him off.

"I'm not distracting you." he buried his face against her neck.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. You're setting the mood, as far as I can tell."

"Is it working?"

"Not one bit."

"Damn it," he mumbled. He rested his chin on the top of her head and continued to watch her work.

Ruka decided to drop by Hotaru's apartment unannounced an hour ago after closing his clinic for the day. It wasn't a surprise to find her doing paper work. The blonde was even lucky to catch her here and not in her laboratory which was located outside the premises of the city for safety measures.

Hotaru having noticed his silence asked, "What are you thinking?"

"You."

"_Please._"

"Not lying."

"I never said that you were, Nogi." Hotaru checked the time. She craned her neck so that they were face to face now. "Dinner?" she offered.

"You just read my mind. You finished with whatever you're doing?"

She rolled her eyes. 'Whatever you're doing' happened to be her ticket to success. Ruka was aware of that. Hotaru clicked Save. "Yeah." She cracked her knuckles, she had been typing the entire afternoon for her presentation tomorrow.

"Pizza? And a movie?"

They never had the chance to do this often, hang out normally. And when he asked, she usually turned him down.

But hell, she missed him. "Okay."

* * *

Ruka was about to make the call when he noticed the framed photo on the kitchen counter. It wasn't there when he last visited. Mikan must have visited a while ago and gave it her. He stared at it, reminiscing. It was a class photo back when they were still in elementary. Ruka chuckled at his ten year old self. He placed it back to wear he found it and stole a glance at Hotaru.

He smiled.

He blinked.

Then it hit him.

He dialed Yuu's number.

"Ruka?"

"Hi, Yuu. What's up?"

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

"Good, good. Listen, I know it's late but I need a favor..."

* * *

The thing about being in a long term committed relationship was you knew the other so well, from mannerisms to words left unsaid. Let's add in the fact that Ruka and Hotaru have known each other since they were ten.

The point?

All it took was one look at her boyfriend and Hotaru knew.

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice low and steady.

Ruka turned bright red, he was flabbergasted to get caught the second he went back to the living room where she currently was.

"I-I... uh," he stuttered. "Change of plans?"

"You didn't order pizza."

It wasn't a question but he felt like he had to answer. Ruka nodded, bracing himself.

Instead, Hotaru simply crossed her arms. "I'm giving you twenty seconds to explain."

_That's it?_

"Before I shoot you with my Baka Gun," she finished.

_There's the Hotaru we all know and love._

Ruka gulped. This was a bad idea.

"Fourteen seconds."

"A game," he blurted out.

"A _game_? You want to play a game?"

"No," he grunted. "A test. Right, another test."

This caught the young inventor's attention. She disregarded the remaining eight seconds.

"I'm listening."

This was a Ruka and Hotaru tradition; their very own version of dates. While other couples went out on dinner dates or a trip for two, Ruka and Hotaru had tests. It all started four years ago, a few weeks after they got back together from their third (hopefully last) serious breakup.

...

...

...

The two were in Ruka's place then. Not doing anything, just enjoying the weekend and each other's company when out of the blue, Ruka asked, "What's the capital of Austria?"

Hotaru raised an eyebrow. "Vienna."

"Cuba?"

"Havana. Nogi, what are you doing?"

"This will be a 'You and Me' thing." He sat up a little straighter. "Singapore?"

"Are you even trying?" she moved closer to him. "Singapore."

"Is that a challenge?" Without waiting for her answer, he took his laptop and opened a browser. "Oh, it's on. What's Barbie's full name?"

"The doll?"

"Who else?"

"Barbara Millicent Roberts," Hotaru answered casually. "So this thing... you get to ask me questions? That's a bit biased."

His jaw nearly dropped. "Why do you... How did you...? Never mind." He paused. "Yeah, I never really thought about it, but I guess I get to ask you questions and it's not unfair at all. I think it would be unfair if _you_ started asking. I'd lose in a heartbeat. You're a living breathing version of Google. Plus… you're loving this," he pointed out.

"You just blatantly admitted that I'm smarter than you. You get points for that. Alright," she started to stretch her arms. "Let's do this. Next question?"

...

...

...

That's how it started. There were no other rules. He asked the questions and she answered them. There were those glorious once in a blue moon moments when she got the answers wrong. That was when Ruka won (sort of) and she'd get annoyed and put her Baka Gun into use once more.

They never kept score; they were doing this for the fun of it. It was after all, their thing. It was something their friends never really understood. They liked it that way.

"I'll tell you when we get there," Ruka replied.

"We're going somewhere?"

"Yeah." He fished out his car keys. "Let's go grab something to eat first."

Hotaru was thinking to go against it. She had a long day tomorrow.

He noticed her expression. "It won't take long. Two hours max."

"Ruka, I have work tomorrow."

First name basis. She was serious.

"What if I told you there's a prize?"

She gave him a look. "Are you bribing me?"

Ruka raised his shoulder and avoided her gaze.

Seconds later he heard her move. "Two hours. If you exceed, you are dead. I'll go change."

He grinned, ignoring her threat. "Great! I'll start the car."

Hotaru only shook her head once he was out the door.

_What are you up to?_


End file.
